1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a patent supporting table for an apparatus for the disintegration of calculi in the body of a patient, comprising a bearing surface that has an opening in which a shock wave tube for generating shock waves serving for the disintegration of the calculi is arranged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a patient supporting table is disclosed in the prospectus of Siemens Ag, "Lithostar-Universeller Urologischer Arbeitzplatz fuer Therapie und Diagnostik", publication code: A91001-M1027-G490-01 PA 4864. For treating the patient, the shock wave tube situated in the opening and outputting focused shock waves is acoustically coupled such to the body surface or the patient lying on the bearing surface that the calculus to be disintegrated, for example a kidney stone, is situated in the focus of the shock waves. An exact positioning of the patent relative to the shock wave tube is required for this purpose. In the known patient supporting table, the bearing surface together with the patient lying thereon are therefore motor-displaceable relative to the shock wave tube in the longitudinal body direction of the patient and transversely relative thereto. In order to prevent the usually anesthetized patient from falling through an opening, however, this comprises only relatively small dimensions in the longitudinal body direction of the patient. Since, further, the shock wave tube is arranged in the opening of the bearing surface during the displacement of the bearing surface, the bearing surface can only be displaced by a small dimension relative to the shock wave tube in the longitudinal body direction of the patient since the limiting edges of the opening would otherwise strike the shock wave tube and move it from its predetermined position or even damage it. Given the known patient supporting table, therefore, the treating physicians and the assisting personnel must initially manually align the patient at least in his longitudinal body direction with such precision on the bearing surface that his exact positioning within the range of adjustment of the bearing surface limited by the dimensions of the shock wave tube and of the opening can ensue under motor drive. Due to the fact that the patient is anesthetized, this involves considerable physical exertions. Further, there is the risk that a patient who, for example, is already exactly positioned in transverse direction of the bearing surface will again be shifted. Further, this procedure is not particularly gentle on the patient since considerable forces must be exerted on the patient.